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Online Gambling Scams And How You Can Avoid Them

Probably because online gambling involves huge amounts of cash moving over the internet, it's no surprise that the genre is one of the most targeted by online scammers and hackers. They are on a constant lookout for any chinks in your mobile or PC's security armour which they can then exploit for their own gain. Nevertheless, there are a number of common sense measures you can utilise to ensure a safer time online. Make good use of these, as it's frustrating to watch your funds being drained.

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Online Gambling Scams

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that the internet is chockablock with scams. And at some point, many of us will come into contact with these and end up either losing important information or inadvertently allowing others access to personal details. This is especially true if you’re visiting online gambling sites and casinos to win the jackpot. The world of online casinos is full of online gambling scams and scammers. That’s why we thought to give some timely advice in order that many of you can pick up the clues and red flags that will help to protect you from unwanted attention. With these tips and tricks you should be able to avoid becoming careless. Being able to identify an online scam before you sign up to the casino is the best way of protecting yourself and your bankroll.

The Most Common Online Gambling Scams

There were probably more online casino scams going on then anyone can possibly cover in a single article. Having said that, the most common scams happens again and again. The result is that many online players are being suckered in and then hung out to dry. So let’s have a look at some of these scams in more detail.

Identity Theft

Of all the most common online gambling scams, identity theft is certainly not unique to the world of gambling. But you’ll be amazed how much damage a thief can do if they discover your social security number. Obviously, we don’t need to tell you that you should only share such details with organisations that you are 100% sure will guard it securely. When it comes to online casinos and sports books, many like 22Bet Casino will ask for Know Your Customer (KYC) details. This will often include official documents with your full name, date of birth, and address. Now if this information fell into the wrong hands it could have large negative implications for you. Before you hand over KYC documents to online casino websites, it’s important that you do your due diligence to make sure the casino website is both reputable and legal.

Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are often used by scammers to gain personal or financial information. The most common method is that you receive an email that looks like it’s come from a legitimate source. It may well include a link which will direct you to a legitimate looking website.

Checklist to Help Avoid Identity Theft Online Gambling Scams:

Don’t Click On Suspicious Links – Scammers have ways of obtaining email lists showing you as a customer. Then they’ll email you a phishing link.
Only Play At Regulated Casinos Or Sports books – All reputable online casinos or sports books will be regulated by some authority in their jurisdiction, for instance the UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority.
Read Online Reviews – In the age of social media it’s easy to do your homework before depositing at an online casino or sports book.

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Spyware and Ransomware

You don’t need to be a scammer or computer hacker to realise that there’s big money when it comes to online gambling scams. If someone is able to gain access to your computer and enter your online betting account then this can be extremely lucrative. One common method by which scammers target your online account is by utilising ransomware or spyware. That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure that your antivirus software is always kept up to date. If the scammers or hackers are able to bypass your virus or spyware blocker, then they can download spyware onto your computer. And you would have no idea it was sitting there. Once activated, this spyware will be collecting and sending information such as credit card numbers, usernames or passwords, back to the scammer.

Checklist to Avoid Spyware and Ransomware Online Gambling Scams:

Secure Your Computer – Remember that scammers are looking for easy access to your computer. Have the latest antivirus software installed.
Play In Your Browser – Avoid casino software. Only use your browser for online casinos.
Only Download Casino Apps – If you must download casino software, only use the proper online stores of Google Play or the Apple Store.

Rigged and Pirated Games

Sometimes it’s easy to become a victim of rigged or pirated games. That’s because it takes a trained eye to identify such things. In fact, it’s quite common for experienced players to fall for scams concerning rigged games. Unfortunately, there are a number of greedy casino operators in the online casino space. They are only too happy to provide players with rigged and pirated games. Many of these scams will concern the casino’ house-edge. Though this is fixed and public knowledge with reputable casinos, there are many casinos of ill-repute who use a secretly inflated house-edge to their own advantage.

All casinos with reputable gaming licences, like those given out by the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority will have periodic audits. Online casinos with less than stellar licensing will often rig their slots and online casino games. For example, many regular casinos like 22Bet Casino may have a house-edge of 10% on the penny slots. But there will be some shady sites who want to up this considerably. So, whether you’re playing craps, roulette, blackjack or online jackpot games, it’s possible for the in-house computer programs to be written in such a manner that the player loses much more than if they were playing at a regular casino.

The real problem here is it’s difficult to spot online gambling scams with a game that’s being rigged. To that end, it’s essential that you only play at the top regulated online casinos. Look for the casinos licence and if you’re not happy with what’s on offer then we suggest you stay well away.

Checklist to Avoid Rigged and Pirated Online Gambling Scams

Play At Live Dealer Casinos – Live dealer casinos offer more reassurance. There’s no software, so games are less likely to be fake.
Only Play At Reputable Online Casinos – Avoid shady and lowly-rated online casinos. Choose quality by checking the license.

Blatant Theft

Such is the massive amount of funds that pour into online casinos, it’s not surprising that some of these businesses have resorted to scamming their customer base. These casinos really don’t care about hiding their online gambling scams. The foundation of their business is constantly being on the lookout for new victims to make deposits. Essentially, once you make the the deposit, then the money disappears. This often comes in the form of online casinos refusing payouts. You can even find this behaviour practised by some relatively reputable sports books. They will refer you to some sentences hidden in their terms and conditions. Something that will lay out even more obscure reasons as to why you shouldn’t be paid. They will quote petty reasons, often claiming that you breached their terms.

When it comes to initiating a withdrawal request, there’s a very good chance they will either not pay back your deposit or simply ghost you. The really crummy ones will not reply to your emails as to the reason that withholding your money. They may well simply lock your account. And then send you on a wild goose chase, in that you’ll need to provide all types of paperwork. In the end they want to wear you out by using a long and complicated verification process. Once you tire of this, and no longer have the stamina to continue pursuing them, they simply keep your deposit.

Checklist to Avoid Blatant Theft Online Gambling Scams

Do Some Research Into Online Casinos – Before depositing, ensure that you research social media, expert and user reviews.
Avoid The Too-Good-To-Be-True Betting Bonuses – Legitimate online casinos can provide attractive free bet bonuses. But use some common sense when it comes to the amounts.

Casino Game “Experts” With a System

Though scammers come in all sizes and shapes, there’s one type that we feel obliged to warn you about. This is the typical YouTube casino influencer. Someone who’ll claim to be a gambling expert. It’s not just YouTube by the way. You can find these types across all social media platforms. They will claim to have won millions of dollars at the online casino or the online sports book. They will have a unique and exclusive system which allows them to win. Even when no one else can. Of course, you’re able to get in on their amazing system by paying a fee. The most common of these revolve around blackjack and roulette. But you may well find many jackpot poker scammers as well.

These people are like parasites. They feast on uneducated casino gamblers who have unrealistic dreams and hopes to win the jackpot online. In reality, if they really had a “can’t lose” betting system, do you really think they would share it with anyone? We suggest that when you come across the so-called experts, you run away as fast as possible in the opposite direction.